Preview: Flyers at Blues

FLYERS (20-12-4) at BLUES (18-12-5)
8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV

Flyers team scope

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier will return Wednesday after missing the past 16 games with a lower-body injury. Left wing Michael Raffl will not play after injuring his knee in a 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 23. Couturier will play for the first time since Nov. 23 and center the third line. "I'm feeling pretty good," Couturier said. "Feels good to get back from the break and skate this morning. ... I'm excited just to be on the road with the guys and stuff. I think I'm playing; I don't know yet, but I'm feeling pretty good." Coach Dave Hakstol welcomes back one of the Flyers' top two-way players. "It's always good to get players back in the lineup," Hakstol said. "Obviously [Couturier] plays a big role for us, not only 5-on-5 but both specialty teams. Whether or not he has a huge specialty teams role tonight or not, that remains to be seen, but he's ready to go and it'll be good to have him back in the lineup." Goalie Steve Mason will start for the 19th time in 21 games. The Flyers have lost three of four (1-2-1) since winning 10 in a row.

Blues team scope

The St. Louis Blues will look to success at Scottrade Center to keep pace in the Central Division. The Blues (41 points) trail the Chicago Blackhawks by eight points and Minnesota Wild, who have won 11 in a row, by seven. St. Louis is 2-4-1 in its past seven games but 13-2-4 at home entering a season-long, six-game homestand Wednesday. "I think the sense of urgency is elevated with us because we've put some pressure on ourselves not being able to win on the road," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "The pressure at home is getting magnified because every home game is going to feel like a four-point game. I just don't want to see us in a hurry to get back out on the road and prove ourselves again. We've got top opponents coming right now, teams that are on top of their game and I think we've got to play awful well to get points from them." Goalie Carter Hutton will start against the Flyers with Jake Allen projected to play against the Nashville Predators on Friday and against the Blackhawks in the 2017 Bridgestone Winter Classic on Jan. 2 (1 p.m. ET; NBC, SN, TVA Sports).

Flyers projected lineup

Taylor Leier -- Claude Giroux -- Jakub Voracek
Travis Konecny -- Brayden Schenn -- Wayne Simmonds
Nick Cousins -- Sean Couturier -- Dale Weise
Chris VandeVelde -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare -- Roman Lyubimov
Ivan Provorov -- Andrew MacDonald
Michael Del Zotto -- Radko Gudas
Nick Schultz -- Shayne Gostisbehere
Steve Mason
Anthony Stolarz
Scratched:Boyd Gordon, Brandon Manning
Injured:Michal Neuvirth (lower body), Matt Read (upper body), Mark Streit (shoulder), Michael Raffl (knee)

Blues projected lineup

Jaden Schwartz -- Paul Stastny -- David Perron
Alexander Steen -- Jori Lehtera -- Vladimir Tarasenko
Robby Fabbri -- Patrik Berglund -- Dmitrij Jaskin
Scottie Upshall -- Kyle Brodziak -- Ryan Reaves
Joel Edmundson -- Alex Pietrangelo
Carl Gunnarsson -- Kevin Shattenkirk
Jay Bouwmeester -- Colton Parayko
Carter Hutton
Jake Allen
Scratched:Nail Yakupov, Ty Rattie, Brad Hunt
Injured:Robert Bortuzzo (lower body)

Status report

Schultz, a healthy scratch the past 21 games and 27 of the past 30, will play tonight in place of Manning, who will sit after playing the past 11 games. ... Hutton will make only his fourth start in the past 21 games. Gunnarsson will replace Hunt in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the last game.

Who's hot

Voracek has three goals and 10 assists the past 10 games. Mason is 9-2-1 his past 12 games. ... Perron has a goal in back-to-back games.